Page 59 of Light It Up Red
“He did. So, you see, it had absolutely nothing to do with you.” Gray smiles like he just solved world hunger or something.
“It doesn’t matter. It would have happened because of me eventually. The world I live in, the kind we both grew up in, Gray… it’s not meant for normal. And Travis is as normal as they get.” I shake my head and stare into my whiskey. “I never should have got involved with him.”
“So, what? You’re going to stick to dating made men?” Gray raises his brows at me.
“I’m never dating again.” I chug the rest of the amber liquid and set my glass down on the nightstand.
“Yeah, okay.” He rolls his eyes. “You’re being dramatic, Lil, and the only person you’re hurting is yourself. Well, yourself and Travis.”
“I’m not hurting Travis. I’m protecting him.”
“What the fuck are you doing in here? Get off that fucking bed before I leave your ass to bleed all over it.”
Gray and I turn towards the door at the sound of my brother’s voice.
“Calm down. We’re just talking,” Gray grunts.
“You can talk without being on her fucking bed,” Alessandro counters while storming into the room.
Gray pushes up from the bed and lands me with a glare. “Lil, call him,” he says before barging past Alessandro and out of the room.
I look to my brother. “That was unnecessary, you know.”
“Actually, it was very necessary. Pops is here.”
My eyes widen. “What is he doing here?”
“What do you think? Looking for you.”
“Tell him I don’t want to see him.” I reach down and pick up the blankets Gray tossed on the floor. Then I lean against the headboard and bring my knees up to my chest.
“You can’t avoid him forever, Lil, but if you really want, I can try to get you out of here before he figures out which room you’re in.”
I peer over at the door. I’m about to tell my brother to get me out of the house when my father’s body fills the opening. “Alessandro, get out,” he says, stepping into the room.
Alessandro looks at me. “You want me to stay?”
“I said get the fuck out,” Dad yells, his jaw tense and his eyes narrowed at my brother.
Alessandro turns around, his arms folded over his chest. “And I’m asking my sister if she wants me to stay or not. If she says yes, then you’ll have to drag my dead body out.”
The corner of Dad’s lips tip up, and there’s a hint of pride in his eyes. He doesn’t say anything, just raises a single brow and shoves his hands into his pockets like he’s amused.
“Lil?” Alessandro looks over his shoulder at me.
“It’s fine. Go,” I tell my brother.
He nods once. “I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”
Dad waits for Alessandro to leave the room before he closes the door and walks over to the bed. He sits on the edge of the mattress, right next to me. He doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t have to. I know I hurt him. I know that my outburst before I left home hurt him a lot. I’m still not one hundred percent convinced he didn’t do this, though, and I hate that I’m doubting my own father.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
“For what?” he asks.
“I…” My words die off. I take a deep breath as a fresh bout of tears fall down my cheeks.
“Fuck. Liliana.” Dad reaches out and pulls me into his chest as his arms wrap around my back. “Please don’t cry,” he says as he kisses the top of my head.
